


Last Night

by YourGirlThursday



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty still has feelings for Archie, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Series, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-03 00:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10955886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourGirlThursday/pseuds/YourGirlThursday
Summary: There was a certain magic Betty felt every time she went to the Twilight Drive-In. Tonight was no different. In fact, the place seemed a little more electric than usual. It was like the drive-in itself knew Betty Cooper would be leaving soon and wanted to say goodbye.





	Last Night

**Author's Note:**

> So I tried posting this today, messed something up, and ended up deleting it so I could post it correctly. Only like three people saw it before I took it down so hopefully that doesn't inconvenience/confuse anyone. 
> 
> This was previously posted on my Tumblr. Yay finally cross-posting.

There was a certain magic Betty felt every time she went to the Twilight Drive-In. Tonight was no different. In fact, the place seemed a little more electric than usual. It was like the drive-in itself knew Betty Cooper would be leaving soon and wanted to say goodbye.

It never occurred to Betty how much she would miss this place. Somehow the drive-in hadn’t made it on her list of town landmarks to visit before the summer. Now that she was there, it felt like kismet. A wave of homesickness punched her squarely in the chest. In twenty hours time she would be in California, another coast and time zone entirely.

That night was supposed to be her last grand hurrah with Archie Andrews, her best friend and secret crush. The key phrase was ‘supposed to be.’ Forty minutes before they were set to meet, Archie had finally called. He had been been on a supply run in Oceanvale with his dad. Delayed shipments, traffic accidents, and a bad set of spark plugs had all pushed their departure time further and further back. It was an hour at best to get back from there. Betty had half-heartedly lied that she wasn’t upset. 

The truth was that she was hurt and more than a little embarrassed. She had built up the night as The Moment when Archie would realize that his feelings for her skewed toward romantic. She thought that with her departure looming he would have that romcom impulse to tell her how he felt at the last minute. Part of her wondered if this summer would give her such much needed perspective on her future with (or without) Archie. 

Since Betty’s parents thought she was occupied for the rest of the night, she decided to find something else to do. Jughead had invited them to visit him at work. The Twilight was showing _East of Eden_ , which Betty had been bummed about missing. Plus, it sure beat nursing a broken heart alone.

And so here she was. 

Betty walked straight past the unmanned ticket booth, wondering where Jughead was. It didn’t take long for her to find him. She could hear him all the way across the lot. He was running the concession stand, handing out popcorn and sodas. The salt and butter in the air made Betty’s stomach rumble. She joined the line, watching Jughead navigate behind the counter. He juggled bags and cups without any sort of grace. It was a wonder he didn’t drop anything, but he somehow managed to burn through the line without spilling anything.

The moment Jughead noticed Betty was painfully obvious. His entire face lit up. Betty couldn’t help but smile back. There was something nice about being around someone that was genuinely happy to see her. 

“You guys came after all,” Jughead said, a little breathless from all of the running around. “I thought Archie wasn’t too keen on seeing _East of Eden_.”

Betty shrugged. “Archie cancelled, which worked out in my favor. _I’m_ really keen on seeing the movie.”

The smile on Jughead’s face dimmed noticeably. “He stood you up?” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the counter.

“He’s still out with his dad.” Betty forced a smile, even though she knew her friend would see right through it. “Are you still taking orders?”

Jughead stood up and gestured behind him. “What’s your poison, Betts?”

“Popcorn and a pack of Red Vines,” she answered with zero hesitation. It was her go-to.

Jughead arched an eyebrow. “Shocking.”

Betty pulled out her wallet while Jughead readied the snacks. He carefully layered the popcorn with butter and salt, just the way Betty liked it. Once done, he placed her things on the counter.

The total Jughead quoted was way less than Betty usually paid. She frowned at her friend as he pulled several bills out of his pocket. 

“I figure you’ll be more likely to share if I help pay.” Jughead grinned sheepishly as he added Betty’s money to his. “Snacks taste so much better when you share. It’s theater law.”

Betty shook her head. “Alright, but next time I’m paying for it all.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “There’s no one at the ticket booth so I just walked in.” Both of them laughed at her confession.

“What a rebel! Elodie called out so this is a solo operation tonight. No one will even notice.” Jughead looked at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of, I’ve got a minute before the snacks stop dancing and people get antsy.”

Jughead jumped the counter and picked up their pack of Red Vines. Betty followed him toward the projection booth with the bag of popcorn. She snuck a handful of popcorn, savoring the taste. “You really do make the best popcorn, Juggie.” He smiled at her, ducking his head as he held the door open for her.

It wasn’t Betty’s first time in the projection booth, but usually there was someone else there too. Everything seemed quieter as they settled into the room. Jughead picked up a book off of the chair next to the projector, tossing it onto the table with the licorice. He gestured for Betty to sit, then started fiddling with the film canister he needed to prep.

“I could’ve moved that myself,” Betty reminded him.

Jughead scoffed as he deftly switched out the reels. “That’s a library book, and you’re hand is dripping with butter.” He smiled when the opening credits appeared on the screen. “I have a pristine borrowing record to protect.”

Betty snuck a glance at the title of the book. A tiny snicker escaped her. “You were going to read _The Grapes of Wrath_ while you watched _East of Eden_?”

Jughead pulled up another chair and set it next to Betty’s. She had a much better line of sight. Her seat was originally meant for the projectionist. She shifted and ripped open the package of licorice, offering Jughead a piece.

“When it comes to James Dean, I’m more of a _Rebel Without a Cause_ guy, what can I say?” He smirked and bit off a large piece of licorice. “I was up here reading before my shift started.”

“Of course you were,” Betty murmured, munching on her own piece of licorice.

They slowly worked their way through the snacks and a large stack of napkins as the movie rolled. The silence between them was relaxing. They both were enjoying the movie, although Jughead had to occasionally run back to the concession stand. He brought back napkins and soda with him on his second trip.

Betty’s constant inner monologue shut off when she was around Jughead. She didn’t hear the endless refrain telling her that she wasn’t good enough and that she had to be perfect. It occurred to her that this should’ve been her ideal last night all along. The movie crept closer and closer to ending, making Betty wonder how she could spin the night out.

Guilt stabbed at her. Betty had planned out goodbyes with all of the important people in her life. Milkshakes with Archie. Pancakes with Kevin in the morning. Lunch with her parents and Polly. And yet she hadn’t chosen a moment for Jughead. Each time she thought about saying goodbye to him a little voice whispered ‘not yet.’ She half expected to run into him like she did every day of her life, appearing just when they needed each other. 

“It’ll be weird not seeing you this summer,” Jughead whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen. He was so intent that had it not been for the blush staining his neck, Betty would’ve thought she had imagined his words.

That wave of homesickness crashed down again. Betty smiled sadly and touched her forehead against Jughead’s shoulder. “I know what you mean.” She looked up at him wistfully.

Jughead swallowed, opening his mouth to say something. Nothing came out, but an awkward laugh. Betty felt something shift between them. It was exceedingly rare for Jughead to be so open and vulnerable. He had to know that she truly valued him, right?

Betty opened her mouth to tell him how much their friendship meant to her when Archie Andrews decided to barrel through the door. 

The redhead ran a hand over his face. “Jug, I need your advice. I think I pissed off…” His voice trailed off as he realized Jughead wasn’t alone. “Betty?”

Betty straightened up in her chair, while Jughead sank deeper into his and tugged down his beanie. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. 

“I tried calling you to apologize again and see if you still wanted to hang out.” Archie’s shoulders slumped. “Are you mad at me?”

Betty flipped over her phone, seeing the notifications she had missed. “I silenced my phone.” She shot Jughead a smile, trying to make him feel less uncomfortable. “It’s theater law.”

That earned her a snort from Jughead. He unfolded himself from the chair and made his way to the door. “Sounds like you two need a moment. I’m gonna go turn the popcorn machine off.” His exit was punctuated by the squeak of the door hinges behind him.

The silence that followed was nothing like the one Betty had been sharing with Jughead. This one was charged, heavy with unsaid words. Betty became hyper aware of a smear of butter just behind her ear. Her fingers itched to swipe at it.

“I’m so sorry, Betty. I really thought I would be back in time. And it’s not like we can just do it another night since you’re leaving tomorrow.” Archie ran a hand through his red hair. “I feel awful.”

The words were like aloe to Betty’s burned heart. They didn’t fix the problem, but provided some mild relief temporarily. She could hear her mother’s words echo in her ears. Betty was a good girl. Good girls swallowed their sadness, let any volatile emotion roll right off their back. Good girls didn’t tell people how devastated they were by their actions. 

Betty settled for a half truth. “I’m not mad at you.” 

Relief swept across Archie’s face. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear. We can go to Pop’s right now and get that milkshake.”

A knot formed in the bottom of Betty’s stomach. She wanted this. She would’ve killed for this an hour and a half before. Now she was worried about leaving her friend behind. There was something cold about seeking out Jughead and walking away as soon as Archie showed up.

Betty stood up and walked past Archie to the door. “Let’s finish the movie first,” she countered. It sounded like an option, but Archie had no choice. She had started the movie beside Jughead and would end it there as well. She left the projection room and headed for the concession stand. 

Archie veered off toward the bathrooms. “Meet up with you in a sec,” he called after her. 

When Betty spotted him, Jughead was leaning against the front of the counter of the concession stand. His arms were crossed firmly across his chest. Betty made eye contact with him and smiled. His answering smile was edged with something she couldn’t identify.

“Heading out.” It wasn’t a question. 

Betty leaned against the counter next to Jughead. She knocked her shoulder into his arm. “Not without finishing the movie.”

Jughead looked down at her. “You know how it ends.”

“Since when has that ever mattered.” Betty grabbed some napkins from a nearby dispenser to clean the spot on her neck. “I’m sticking with you until the bitter end.”

“There’s like five minutes left. Are you sure you want to make that kind of commitment?” The weirdness melted from Jughead’s smile. He was back to the smile he had given her earlier in the night. It was brilliant and made Betty feel triumphant for bringing it out. 

“What?” Jughead asked, making Betty realize she had been staring a beat too long.

Betty lightly touched his forearm. “You’re a really good friend. You know that, right?”

Jughead’s eyes moved from Betty’s toward where they were touching. He swallowed quickly. “So are you.” His attention shifted to the credits rolling. “Movie’s over. I’ll be right back.”

_Not yet._

It was a warm summer night, but Betty still felt cold when Jughead walked away. He got about ten steps away before he stopped in place and pivoted back toward her.

“They’re really lucky to have you this summer,” Jughead told her. “You’re going to practically be running the place by your third day.”

Betty laughed. “Yeah right.”

“I’m serious. I’ve seen Betty Cooper when she has a goal. I’d bet on her every time.” There was something about the look in Jughead’s eyes that knocked the air right out of Betty. He sounded so sincere. She knew that this moment would be one she replayed. It wasn’t enough to drown out her mother, but it would help. “Have a safe flight tomorrow and good luck.”

_Not yet._

Betty took a step toward him, a lump forming in her throat. “Aren’t you joining us at Pop’s? Archie and I can help you clean up here.”

Jughead looked at a spot just over Betty’s shoulder. “I think it would be better if I skipped out on that. Archie’s got a lot of groveling to do.” They shared a smile. “Seriously, go have fun with him.”

Without thinking Betty closed the gap between them. She flung her arms around her friend, curling her arms around his back. “Goodbye, Juggie.” 

“Bye Betts.” The words were barely audible, mere whispers ruffling her hair. He relaxed into the hug, going from making simple contact to actually holding her.

They pulled away slowly, backing away from each other. If saying goodbye to Jughead was this hard, how much worse would it be to say it to Polly? Tears pricked at the corners of Betty’s eyes. She’d said the words, but couldn’t bring herself to move any further away.

_Not yet._

Jughead playfully pointed a finger at her. “Hey now, there’s no crying in baseball.”

“More theater law,” Betty said, smiling at the reference to one of her favorite movies. She had long since realized that humor was Jughead’s way of handling hard stuff.

It was so hard for Betty to fight the urge to keep their conversation going. She needed to end it, rip it off like a bandaid. That was the only way she would get through it. Change was a part of growing up, getting away. This was the trade off for getting away from her parents for the entire summer. That didn’t make it hurt any less though.

Betty took a deep breath. “I’ll see you in three months.” There was a firmness in her voice that surprised her. 

“Count on it,” Jughead told her, understanding the finality of her tone. He turned quickly and practically ran away. Before he entered the projection booth he faced Betty again. His expression didn’t change as he took her in. It was almost like he was memorizing how she looked. Jughead took a deep breath and waved goodbye.

Then he was gone. 

Betty crumpled against the concession stand. She willed herself not to cry. There were so many times she had stopped her tears over the years. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Think about how great California would be. Think about how freeing it would be to be forty some odd states away from her mother. 

Her breathing had gone from shaky to stable by the time Archie finally returned. Betty wrapped her arms around her best friend when he stopped in front of her. 

“I figured you guys would say your goodbyes now,” Archie told her. “Best friend instinct.”

Betty smiled at that, knowing it could apply to either her or Jughead. “Is it also telling you that I need a shake?” She slipped out of Archie’s arms. “Because I really need a shake.”

Archie nodded. “Definitely. Let’s go.”


End file.
